Volkswagen Id 4

Can Volkswagen's most popular electric car still stand out against its advancing rivals? The Volkswagen ID 4’s days may be numbered in the guise that we’ve come to know it - it’s about to be redefined and rechristened the ID Tiguan, in line with Volkswagen’s updated EV model naming strategy which has also recently brought us the ID Polo - though it’s probably the least deserving car of a reset in Wolfsburg’s zero-emissions lineup.It appeared in the UK in early 2021, and quickly became not just the best-selling EV of the Volkswagen brand but also the entire Volkswagen Group. Some 182,000 examples of it (and its ID 5 coupé-SUV twin) were sold in 2024. With dimensions just inside those of the Volvo XC60 in every direction, it taps richly into the current vogue for mid-sized ‘crossover’ not-quite-SUVs. Which, on the one hand, means the car is well-positioned to be popular; but also means, by default, that it has plenty of competition.The ID 4’s rivals have become stronger and more diverse by the month, launching from all directions - Kia and Hyundai in Korea; Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall in Europe; Xpeng, BYD, MG and Chery in China; and Tesla in the US - all with increasingly competitive products. But Volkswagen has also bolstered the ID 4’s model range, adding larger batteries and several motor options to broaden the SUV’s appeal; and enhancing the car’s equipment level and value offering as it has aged, as well as lately bolstering its performance and range.Volkswagen ID 4 range at a glanceThe ID 4 offers a choice of three batteries in the UK: and the smallest one grew the most as part of the car’s 2026-model-year revision. The car’s entry-level grade (Pure) now gets 58kWh of usable battery capacity, up about 10 per cent on where it was originally; the mid-level, single motor grade (Pro) gets a 79kWh pack (up about 3 per cent); and all twin-motor models (4Motion and GTX) use a 77kWh pack.WLTP-lab-test electric range has increased on most derivatives; but most meaningfully on Pure models (up from 222- to 265 miles); while power is up on both Pure (by 19bhp, to 187bhp) and Pro 4Motion (282- to 296bhp) models. The longest-range versions remains the single-motor, rear-driven Pro Essential, at 351 miles.The range-topping Volkswagen ID 4 GTX sports SUV is covered in its own separate review.VersionpowerID 4 Pure187bhpID 4 Pro282bhpID 4 Pro 4Motion296bhpID 4 GTX 4Motion335bhp